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2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Getting back to yes: A local perspective on decommissioning, restart, and responsibility
For 45 years, Duane Arnold Energy Center operated in Linn County, Ia., near the town of Palo and just northwest of Cedar Rapids. The facility, owned by NextEra Energy, was the only nuclear power plant in the state.
In August 2020, a historic derecho swept across eastern Iowa with winds approaching 140 miles per hour. Damage to the plant’s cooling towers accelerated a shutdown that had already been planned, and the facility entered decommissioning soon after, with its fuel removed in October of that year. Iowa’s only nuclear plant had gone off line.
Today the national energy landscape looks very different than it did just six short years ago. Electricity demand is rising rapidly as data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and electrification expand across the country. Reliable, carbon-free baseload power has become increasingly valuable. In that context, Linn County has approved the rezoning necessary to support the recommissioning and restart of Duane Arnold and is actively supporting NextEra’s efforts to secure the remaining state and federal approvals.
VIEW RECIPIENTSSUBMIT NOMINATION
Nomination Deadline
March 1
Presented at the
RRSD Topical Meeting
Monetary Award
$2,500
The Ray Goertz Award recognizes and honors outstanding contributions to the field of remote technology in hazardous environments.
Nominees are judged by their contributions to the advancement and/or application of remote technology in hazardous environments. It is preferred that the nominator and nominee are members of RRSD but will be considered from non-ANS/non-RRSD individuals who have directly contributed to RRSD (e.g., papers, topical presentations).
The award consists of an engraved plaque and a monetary award of $2,500 presented at the RRSD Topical when held.
This award was established by the Robotics & Remote Systems Division in 1985 to honor the late Raymond C. Goertz for his lifetime contribution to the advancement of remote handling systems and for his development of the master-slave manipulator.
This award is administered by RRSD. The division establishes the detailed evaluation criteria, solicits the nominations, and determines the recipients. Division officers and committee members are not eligible during their terms in office. The ANS Honors and Awards Committee is available for consultation and review of criteria and procedures as appropriate.
Nominations should be submitted to the RRSD Honors & Awards Chair.
Nominations must include the completed nomination form accompanied by the following supporting documents:
View Award
